advice wanted

i am trying to choose a new sewing machine---quilting and general sewing--ive narrowed my choices to

1 horizon by janomi

2 pfaff quilters edition

3 bernina quilters edition

both my previous machines have been pfaff and love them but hearing all the positives+negatives has confused me
any input would be helpfull i do intend to try them all out but heads up on what you have found would help

Which dealer will give you the best service? I would want one close to me. I have the Janome 6600 and love it! I could upgrade to Horizon but decided it didnt have that much more to justify the price difference.

I just bought a new Pfaff Creative Sensation. I love this machine. It sews a perfect 1/4" seam with a beautiful stitch. This is my 5th or 6th Pfaff and I was thinking about trying a Bernina this time. I am glad I bought the Pfaff. Try the ones out that you are thinking about and see which one feels best to you. You are the only one that can decide which one to buy. The machine that feels good to me may not feel good to you.

You need to go to stores and check out what they have and what type of support they give. Some offer classes and will answer questions over the phone if you get stuck. You'll find pros and cons on all machines when asking this question but you have to decide. I wouldn't even look at a Bernina because I don't like the store here that sells them and know that I wouldn't want to have to rely on them for support. I've always had a thing for Viking and the people in that store are great; always. That's why I went with them and didn't check out Janomi which would have been my 2nd choice. Pfaff is a good machine and is now under Vikings wing so I wouldn't rule them out. There are so many rumors out there that you have to go by your gut reaction instead. Try out all of the machines and then pick the one you like for yourself

I bought a Bernina 440QE and I love it. I bought that brand because of the BSR and because the dealer was local and had a wonderful reputation for service. I was a new quilter and got sold on the BSR at a trade show. However... you can quilt with almost any sewing machine, and there are lots of good ones out there (including vintage machines). Service is really important, which includes lessons if you are not familiar with the machine already. You might try making a list of the features that each machine has, and then decide which ones are really important to you. Be sure to compare with the features that your current machine has, so you don't lose some feature that you really depend on. Good luck!

A good local dealer is the best for whatever machine you decide on. If they offer free classes for your machine, that's a nice bonus. At some point you will need to get it cleaned and serviced. Do they have a good warranty, on site certified mechanic? You should make a list of your must have features and bring along fabric, thread to try out the machines. Price them all out and see which will work best for you.